Trust
by Mooseyfate
Summary: New Chapter!! Vaughn and Jack go missing and Irina and Sydney think they know the culprit. It all comes down to who you can trust. Lots of twists and turns! S/V and J/I
1. Blurry

Untitled  
  
As of yet, I don't have a title. I'll come up with something soon though. Any suggestions are welcome. With that said, this is my first real Alias fic. I wrote a one-chapter fic called "One Night in Rio." (Go read it) but that doesn't really count because I said so. Ok, my new story.  
  
This will be a S/V and J/I fic. With some other couples mixed in. Basically it takes place now. SD-6 and the Alliance are bye-bye and Sydney and Vaughn are together. If you haven't seen "Double Agent" there are some things about it in here. I'm going to be referring to Vaughn as Michael and Vaughn. Just because I can.  
  
If I owned Alias then I wouldn't be writing FF I'd be writing episodes with more S/V and some J/I because I could. Since I don't, I'm not.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
It was an ordinary day in LA, a little warm, but that was to be expected. Sydney Bristow was in too good of a mood to notice or even care about the weather. She smiled to just about everyone as she walked in the CIA building. The reason behind her good mood was simple. Michael Vaughn. They'd been seeing one another for about two months and things couldn't have been better. They'd been out on dates, real dates. And he'd been romantic and caring and sweet. It was perfect. There was only one problem. He hadn't even brought up the L word yet. Love. She didn't think that she would ever feel it again after Danny died, but somehow she did. She knew that he felt the same way or at least she assumed he did.  
  
She made her way to his office to say good morning to him when she heard another person's voice, a female voice.  
  
"Oh, come on Mike! You know you do! Say it! You love me!" The female voice teased in a singsong manner.  
  
"Yes D, I love you. You are wonderful and amazing. Happy?" Michael said smiling.  
  
"Ecstatic." The woman paused for a moment, then Sydney saw her get off of Vaughn's desk, "I have to go Mikey. I'll see you tonight for dinner though. Love you!" She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, opened the door and walked away smiling.  
  
Sydney saw her as she exited Vaughn's office. She was short, maybe 5'2, not much taller. She had dark hair, darker then Sydney's and bright blue eyes. And she was gorgeous. She wasn't in a business suit but she was making her way to Devlin's office. There was a reasonable explanation for her, Michael wouldn't lie to her or string her along. Or he'd wind up with a broken wrist and the inability to have children. She walked into his office smiling brightly. "Hi!"  
  
Vaughn looked up from his desk and his face lit up, "Hey beautiful." He closed the door behind her and kissed her passionately.  
  
After a few minutes they needed oxygen and broke apart, "Wow, quite a greeting."  
  
"Well I'd like to do more then that, but you know we're in an office." Vaughn motioned to the door.  
  
"That's a problem?" Sydney raised her eyebrow and they exchanged looks, then began laughing, "Ok, that's not the best idea with my dad on the prowl."  
  
"Maybe not." He kissed her on the forehead, "What's up?"  
  
"I wanted to see if you were busy tonight?" She asked hopefully, maybe he'd tell her about his dinner plans.  
  
"Hm, actually I'm have plans tonight. How about tomorrow?" He suggested.  
  
Her heart sank, should she ask him outright? No, he'd just lie about it, "Sounds good. Um, is there something you're not telling me?" She asked.  
  
"Can't think of a thing." He replied. Before Sydney could ask him about the girl, his phone rang. He picked it up after the first ring, knowing it could be something important, "Vaughn? *Pause* Yes, that's right. I was told she was sent here from another office. *Pause* No, I know that. She left my office less then five minutes ago, she should be in a meeting with Devlin. *Pause* Yes and Syd, I mean Agent Bristow. *Pause* All right, yes. I'll be there in a moment." Sighing he hung up the phone.  
  
"What's wrong?" She asked.  
  
"Uh, nothing. Just stupid work shit. I have to go meet Devlin and I believe your father was looking for you earlier. I'll call you later if I don't see you." He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips and left the office in a rush.  
  
"Nothing my ass. He's lying to me! The nerve of that man!" Sydney growled and followed him out of the office to yell at him.  
  
"Sydney!" Jack Bristow's commanding voice stopped her in her tracks.  
  
"Hey dad, I'm kind of busy, can this wait?" She asked stopping.  
  
"No, it can't. It's work, not personal. Come here." He motioned to the empty conference room. He closed the door and sat down, "There is something that you need to know." He waited for her to sit down.  
  
Sighing she did, "What do I need to know?" She asked. Oh lord, he knows Michael is cheating on me and he's planning on assassinating him.  
  
"I believe you observed Agent D'Auber leaving Agent Vaughn's office." Jack said, Sydney felt herself blushing.  
  
"Yes." She admitted.  
  
"So, I guess it's safe to assume that you know that true nature of their relationship?" He asked.  
  
Sydney couldn't believe her father was being so blunt, "Well I assumed, that they were. . ."  
  
"Yes, indeed they are. But, Agent D'Auber wishes to keep it under wraps, but I'm sure she understands you need to know. Now, has Agent Vaughn told you that you will be working with her?" Jack switched off the topic of Michael's betrayal so quickly that Sydney was stunned he didn't tell her what day his hanging would be.  
  
"I, I, uh no I didn't know." She managed to squeeze out.  
  
"Well she'll essentially become your partner. And of course Agent Vaughn will still be your handler, while she'll be working under Agent Weiss." Sydney scoffed, she may be working with Eric, but she'll be under Michael, "Problem?"  
  
"No, none at all." She managed a smile, "Can I go or do I need to know anything more?"  
  
"Not at the moment no. But, Devlin and Kendall are meeting with her now, so I think you should sit in on the meeting or at least talk to them about her." Jack got up and looked at Sydney concerned, "Are you doing ok?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, just dandy." Sydney walked out of the office in a huff. She was going to go talk to this Agent D'Auber and set her straight. No one steals Sydney Bristow's man and gets away with it!  
  
"Oh, Agent Bristow!" Sydney was stopped for the second time that day.  
  
"What?" She growled and turned around to come face to face with an increasingly annoying short pretty and judging by her last name French girl, "Oh, it's you. Perfect. We need to have a little talk." She grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the empty conference room she and her father had just recently occupied. She sized up Agent D'Auber or as Michael had affectionately called her D. She was pretty, she'd give her that, but it wasn't anything she couldn't compete with.  
  
"Um, Agent Bristow? Sydney?" D'Bitch as Sydney was now referring to her as broke her thoughts.  
  
"Yes?" Sydney glared.  
  
"Um, I assume that Michael, err, Agent Vaughn has informed you of the true nature of our relationship?" She was proceeding with caution, well that wouldn't do her any good.  
  
"No, in fact he did not. I had to hear the news from my father." Sydney growled.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. You seem to be upset about this, I didn't think that it would affect your relationship with Mike that much." D'Bitch looked concerned.  
  
"Didn't think it would affect our relationship? Did he think I would throw you two a party?! He knows how I feel about him and the fact that he chose to hide this from me is not only inexcusable but just plan mean."  
  
"I'm sorry, but I didn't think you would be upset. Mike knows that you feel the way you do which is why he tried to tell you as soon as he knew I got transferred." She tried to explain which only lead to Sydney getting even angrier.  
  
"Transferred? So this has been going on for a long time?" She exploded.  
  
"Well when I got into the CIA I didn't want people to know so I made a few changes and we kept the true nature of our relationship silent. I didn't think it would be cause for any anger. It's perfectly legitimate."  
  
"Oh my lord. Oh my lord. I can't even be in the same room as you now. Oh my lord. I'm going to kill him. That's it. I'm going to kill 'em" Sydney took a few deep breaths and then left the room in a rush, looking for Michael.  
  
That's my sad little attempt at a cliff. Please let me know how you feel about it. Love it? Hate it? Think I'm crazy? Any sorts of thoughts are much appreciated. 


	2. Nightmares

Trust  
  
Sorry if Jack and Sydney were a little out of character, but there is a reason behind everything that I do. I promise that this will all make sense at the end of the story.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
If I owned them I would have a much bigger CD collection. But, alas I don't own anything.  
  
It was too much to think that the man she was in love with was cheating on her. With some unknown pretty short girl! That was hard for her to wrap her mind around. But, to think that this woman, this girl even had been seeing him for years was painful. She rushed around the corner and slammed into the man she was looking for.  
  
"Syd, I can see by the anger you found out about D. Come on, let's talk." Vaughn dragged her into his office, he closed the door and then Sydney exploded.  
  
"How could you not think that I'd be angry Michael? I mean lord it's not like I told you I love you yet, but the least you could have done was let me know that you had someone else. That this was some casual fling to you. And let me tell you Michael, I don't know what you see in this D person. She's not prettier then me. Does she know about us?" Sydney demanded.  
  
"It's not that simple Sydney. There are other factors." Vaughn tried to explain.  
  
"Like what? Oh lord, what else could there be?"  
  
"We're married and have 6 children. Lola, Liam, Torque, Silva, Light bulb and Coconut. I'm sorry." Vaughn hung his head in shame.  
  
"Lola? Who names their child Lola? If you recall from the song, Lola was a drag queen." Sydney said as a matter of factly.  
  
"Well we love him. D and I are very happy together." Vaughn explained.  
  
"Well good. In fact I'm glad. I don't want to be with someone who names their children Lola. Goodbye Vaughn." Sydney then sprouted wings and flew away.  
Sydney woke up with a start. What a weird dream. She was so jealous of Vaughn and D. D. What kind of a name was that? Man, her subconscious needed some work. She felt Michael stirring next to her. She looked at him and brushed his hair out of his face and tried to imagine him actually cheating on her. She laughed quietly to herself. He wasn't like that and it was silly of her to act like a jealous fool in the dream. Well, jealousy is a driving force..  
  
"Syd?" Vaughn had woken up, "Hi." He smiled at her.  
  
"Hey." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair.  
  
"I like waking up next to you." He said. She could feel him smiling.  
  
"Well, good. That makes two of us. Hopefully it will stay like this for a long time." She said.  
  
"It will." He kissed her neck and Sydney felt her heart speed up, "You know the alarm won't go off for another 45 minutes. What should we do till then?"  
  
Sydney giggled, and the two of them kept very busy until the alarm went off. Sydney thought she just had a weird dream, how could she know that it was an omen of things to come?  
  
~*~  
  
CIA Offices later that day. . .  
  
Jack Bristow made his way to Michael Vaughn's office. He knocked on the door and let himself in.  
  
"Jack? Is something wrong?" Vaughn asked.  
  
"Have you seen Sydney?"  
  
"Not since this morning. She said she had some errands to run before she came into the office today. I think she was going to go see her mother." Vaughn glanced at his watch, "That was over three hours ago."  
  
"She hasn't called?" Jack was getting a little worried.  
  
"I'll try her cell." Vaughn dialed the familiar number and got voice mail, "She's not answering. Maybe she's at home." Just as he was about to dial, Jack's cell phone rang.  
  
"Sydney?" Jack answered.  
  
"Dad? I'm sorry about missing lunch, but my car broke down." Sydney sounded upset.  
  
"Where are you, I'll go pick you up." Jack asked.  
  
"Um, I'm not really sure. Oh, hold on, there's a street sign, Las Flores Via, I'm near an old factory and a lake."  
  
"I know where it is. I'll be there in a few minutes. Sit tight." Jack hung up the phone.  
  
"Was that her? Is she ok?" Vaughn asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm going to go pick her up now." Jack left quickly.  
  
Vaughn sighed in relief. Well, at least Sydney was ok.  
  
"Hey, Mike," Eric Weiss stuck his head into Vaughn's office.  
  
"What's up Eric?"  
  
"Kendall told me to tell you that your girlfriends on a mission. She'll be back later on tonight." Eric saw the color drain out of Vaughn's face, "What's wrong man?"  
  
"Are you sure she's gone? Like she's already left?" Vaughn demanded.  
  
"Yeah, like two hours ago. Why are you freaking out? It's nothing big, she'll be back tonight." Eric shook his head in disbelief; "You can't even let her out of you sight for a minute. Man, you are in it deep."  
  
"Eric, is she on a plane or did she drive there or what?"  
  
"Plane. She went to Washington. What's the problem?"  
  
"I have to go. See if you can contact Jack and tell him that Sydney's on a mission. Shit, this is totally a trap." He grabbed his phone and left the office in a rush.  
  
"Wait, Mike! What's a trap? Where are you going?" Weiss called after him.  
  
Mike ignored the questions and ran down the stairs, hoping that Jack hadn't left to pick up "Sydney" yet. He got down to the parking lot just as Jack's car tore out. "SHIT!" He pulled out his phone and dialed Jack's number as he ran to his car. He unlocked the door as the phone continued ringing. Voice Mail. "Jack, this is Vaughn, don't go pick Sydney up. It's a trap. She's in Washington! I repeat don't go. Get out of there!"  
  
He drove out of the parking lot as quickly as he could and turned in the direction Jack did. He looked at the cars up ahead and spotted his, maneuvering around the cars in front of him he attempted to catch up. As he turned a corner, his brakes suddenly gave out. The car slipped into a ditch and was heading for a tree; Vaughn pulled the emergency brake in vain. He tried turning the wheel, but nothing. Well, there was always the option of jumping out. He unbuckled his seat belt and tried to open the door. The last thing he saw was his car slamming into a tree as he fell to the ground unconscious.  
  
~*~  
  
Jack pulled out of the parking lot and made his way to Sydney's destination. It took him only 20 minutes until he pulled up to the Las Flores Via street sign. He stepped out of the car and looked around, it looked deserted except for the car sitting on the side of the road 100 feet in front of him. "Sydney?" He walked over to the car and found it empty. He pulled out his phone and 1 message, must be Sydney.  
  
"Jack, this is Vaughn, don't go pick Sydney up. It's a trap. She's in Washington! I repeat don't go. Get out of there!" He turned off the phone quickly and looked around. He glanced at his car and pulled out his gun. Suddenly he felt someone approach him from behind; he swiveled around and was more then surprised when he found a very familiar face standing there.  
  
"Goodbye Bristow." Jack fell to the ground as he was hit from behind with a metal pipe.  
  
~*~  
  
Sydney got comfortable in her plane seat. She glanced at her watch and realized that she should be having lunch with her father right now. She hadn't had time to talk to him or Vaughn before she got on her plane. Kendall had promised her that he'd tell them she was on a mission.  
  
"Just like old times, huh?" Dixon said smiling.  
  
Sydney smiled back, she couldn't express the happiness she felt when she learned Dixon had joined the CIA. Besides the fact that he had saved her from getting her kneecaps broken, he was an amazing agent and an even better friend. She felt her heart drop a little when she thought of what he had to give up to save her. He seemed to be doing ok with being separated from Diane. HE said that she'd eventually understand and Sydney hoped that was true.  
  
"What's wrong Bristow?" He asked.  
  
"There's just a lot going on lately and I have a bad feeling about something. I don't know why. Must be nerves." She brushed it off and started going over the mission logs.  
Oh, twist huh? Well, originally I was going to have D be his sister, but then I realized she didn't fit in the story so I decided to just make her a dream. Please, let me know what you think. Please. I'll be your friend. Hate it or love it, whatever. Any thoughts or opinions are fine with me. 


	3. When In Doubt Ask Your Mama

Trust  
  
Thank you so very much for all your kind reviews! I actually wrote out an outline for this so it'll probably get finished sooner rather then later. I anticipate this being more then a few chapters. Anyways, read on and enjoy!  
  
If I owned Alias then I would have more shoes, I really like shoes. But, I don't, so I won't.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Sydney had tried calling Michael when they'd landed, but he wasn't answering his phone. After that, she and Dixon had to observe a hotel that Sloane was rumored to be hiding out in. He wasn't there, but a man who fit his description had checked out that morning. They left only 3 hours after they landed and arrived back in LA at 7 o'clock that night. She'd tried calling Vaughn and her father 6 times and neither of them answered; she was getting a little worried. When she left Dixon at the airport, she made her way back to the Ops Center, rather then home.  
  
"Sydney?" She turned and saw Eric Weiss looking distraught.  
  
"Eric? What's wrong? Is it Vaughn? My father? What happened?" She demanded.  
  
"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Eric said sadly.  
  
"Eric, what is all your fault? What happened?" Sydney was frantic.  
  
"Mike's gone. His car rammed into a tree and when the team went to the scene, he was missing." Weiss said, sounding defeated.  
  
"Oh god." Tears welt up in her eyes, "My father is looking for him?"  
  
"Sydney, I'm so sorry. I, I wish that I didn't have to tell you this; your father is missing too. They found his car out by an old factory, it was empty."  
  
Sydney felt her limbs go weak, her father was gone, her dad. And Michael, oh god Michael was gone too. Her body began shaking, but she brushed it off, she wouldn't think about her pain, she would find them, "What are we doing to find them?"  
  
Weiss was surprised at the sudden change in her tone, it went from weak and sad to strong and determined, "Uh, Devlin and Kendall have every available officer looking into it. They of course think that it's Sloane and I'm tempted to agree. They've been missing since 12:30."  
  
"Who saw them last and did they know where they were going?" She began walking towards Kendall's office.  
  
"I saw Mike, I told him that you'd left for Washington. He was surprised and asked me to call Jack, he left in a rush; I think he was going after him. He started cursing and going on about a trap. I didn't get anything out of him because he left in such a hurry." He followed her down the multiple hallways.  
  
"What about my father?" She demanded.  
  
"Um, Mike I believe, but before that Kendall I think."  
  
"Good, that's where we're going anyway." She stopped in front of his office and knocked on the door, and then she let herself in.  
  
"Ms. Bristow, I understand that you are upset, but that is no excuse for barging into my office." Kendall snapped.  
  
"Is there anything new?" She asked.  
  
"No, unfortunately there are no clues as to where your father and Agent Vaughn are." He said apologetically.  
That was over a week ago, since Vaughn and her father's disappearance; Sydney had been searching insanely for any sort of clue as to where they could've been taken. She'd barely eaten or slept. She stopped into the house once a day to change and then left in a rush without talking to Francie or Will.  
  
She opened the front door at 2 o'clock AM and stumbled to her room. She threw herself down on the bed and let sleep overtake her.  
  
Vaughn was sitting in a French Café sipping coffee when she saw him, "Michael! Oh, I was so worried about you!" Sydney hugged him and let herself feel safe in his warm embrace.  
  
"I'm sorry Syd. I told you that I'd be out all day today though. You know how busy work keeps me." He kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"It's all right, now that you're here." Her lips met his and their embrace become more passionate. Suddenly the warmth that he provided was gone and she was alone in the normally crowded streets of France. Utterly alone. She looked around and saw a movement, she ran towards it and found her father playing Frisbee with her mother.  
  
"Daddy?" Sydney said quietly, she felt her body shrink and there she was, 4 years old again. Her father knelt down and she ran into his arms hugging him. Laura Bristow walked over and smiled.  
  
"My two favorite people in the whole world." They all embraced and then suddenly Sydney felt herself falling. Her father and mother were ripped from her and she was alone again. She was so little and all-alone, just like she'd always been. And always would be.  
Sydney sat up with a start. Tears were running down her cheeks and she looked at the clock, 7. She needed to go back out and try and find Vaughn and her father again. She slipped out of bed and took a quick shower, dressed. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a tank top, green. Just like Vaughn's eyes. She ripped it off and tossed it in a pile of clothes that she couldn't wear anymore, all green or gifts from her father or things that reminded her of him or Michael. Her closet was getting smaller by the minute. She threw on a black t-shirt and made her way to the kitchen to grab something quick and write a note to Francie.  
  
"Hold it." Will's voice stopped her in her tracks.  
  
She turned around and he glared at her, "Hey Will."  
  
"Sydney I know that you're upset about Vaughn and Jack, but you can't do this. They wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. You're not taking care of yourself." He lectured.  
  
"Will, I don't need this. What I do need is to find Michael and my dad. I need to get anyone I can to help me and I need your support." She snapped.  
  
"Sydney, you need sleep and a decent meal." He argued.  
  
"Will, someone kidnapped my father and the man that I am in love with, and you are worried about me eating? I'll be back later on tonight." She turned.  
  
Will put his hand on her shoulder, "Have you talked to your mother?"  
  
Sydney stopped, she didn't even think of it. Well, why would she? Irina Derevako hadn't been in her life for all that long, "No. I didn't even think of it. . .thank you." Sydney hugged him and with new force, she left the house.  
  
Neither Will nor Sydney noticed the door to Francie's room closing quietly after Sydney left. She quickly pulled out her phone and dialed the familiar number.  
  
"Sark."  
  
"It's me. I have new information." She said quietly.  
  
"Do tell Anna."  
  
"Not only is Michael Vaughn missing, but Jack Bristow too. They seem to think that it was the same person who took both of them." Anna heard movement outside her room and tensed up. The footsteps receded. Probably Will checking up on her.  
  
"Well, that will just make the deal that much more sweeter. Thank you. Keep up the good work." The line disconnected.  
  
~*~  
  
Irina's Cell. . .  
  
Sydney walked into the hallway and saw her mother sitting peacefully, as usual. When Irina heard footsteps she looked up and saw her daughters distraught face. She walked over towards the glass and wished she could hold her in her arms and make the hurt go away.  
  
"How are you holding up?" She asked, she knew that Sydney was strong, and she'd hide her pain, but she hoped she could get a decent answer out of her.  
  
"Terribly. I barely sleep, Will was lecturing me this morning about my eating habits or lack there of. I just, I want to find them, I miss them." She said, sounding defeated.  
  
"Well, there are contacts of mine that could be of use. I can help Sydney. I want them back as much as you do." Irina admitted.  
  
"I know, which is why I'm here, I want you to," Sydney was cut off by her cell phone ringing, "Maybe its news." She picked it up and a distorted voice came over the other line.  
  
"Ms. Bristow, I believe I have some things that you are looking for."  
  
Anger coursed through her veins, "Where the hell are my father and Vaughn?"  
  
"Temper temper. You will get your lover and father back when I get what I want." Sydney tried to place the voice, but the distorter did its job.  
  
"What is it that you want that I can give you?" She demanded.  
  
"It's more of what you can get me. I'll leave the information somewhere you'll find it. You leave tomorrow at noon. If you tell any of your CIA buddies about this you won't ever see your boy toy and daddy dearest again." The line went dead.  
  
"I assume that was the kidnapper?" Irina asked.  
  
"They want me to go and get something from them. Probably steal whatever it is. Damn it! I don't even know if it's legitimate."  
  
"Calm down Sydney. What do they want you to get?" Irina asked, never ever showing any sort of anger or frustration.  
  
"I don't know. They said that I'd receive the information where I can find it. I have no clue where that would be."  
  
"When you get that information I want you to bring it straight here. Don't show it anyone else. I assume they told you not to involve the CIA?" Sydney nodded, "Alright, do you agree to that?"  
  
"I don't want them to hurt Michael or dad. I'm just, I know that this is a trap and I don't know what else I can do." Sydney looked weak and tired.  
  
"Give the phone to someone you can trust that's CIA. You have a friend who does tech, right?"  
  
"Marshall."  
  
"Yes, have him trace the call and tell you where it originated from. It's most likely blocked, but it's worth a shot." Irina stopped, "Go home and sleep Sydney. When you get what you're waiting for bring it here and we'll go over it together. Two heads are better then one."  
  
"Thank you mom." Sydney smiled, "I think I'd be falling apart at the seams right now if you weren't so calm. How do you do that?"  
  
"Practice. And years worth of pain buried deep inside. Now go." Irina waved and Sydney left.  
  
~*~  
  
"Marshall?" Sydney walked up behind him.  
  
He jumped at the sound of his name, but when he saw Sydney, he looked even more nervous, "Sydney, I uh, didn't think I'd see you here today. Seeing as how you're upset about your father and Agent Vaughn missing. Not that we aren't all upset, because we are. Or at least I am. I mean I didn't know Agent Vaughn that well, or your father come to think of it. You know I've been working with him for a long time and,"  
  
"Marshall." Sydney interrupted him.  
  
"Oh, sorry. You needed something?" He smiled weakly.  
  
"Yes, I was wondering if you could trace this number. It was the last call made to my phone. I need a location and a number ASAP. How soon can you get it for me?" Sydney pulled out her phone and handed it over.  
  
"Um, well it shouldn't take more then, carry the 5, divided by 2, 8, then 13, 20 minutes." He said.  
  
"Ok, I'll be back soon. Bye." She walked away; hoping that whoever it was that called her was stupid enough to have left a trace network open.  
  
~*~  
  
Sydney walked into her house to find it empty, "Francie? Will?" No answer "Must be out." She walked into the kitchen and pulled out some cold cuts, then proceeded to make herself a sandwich. She was just about to start eating when the doorbell rang. "Always at the most inconvenient times." She muttered to herself. She opened the door to find a deliveryman, "Can I help you?"  
  
"Are you Sydney Bristow?" He asked, reading off of his chart.  
  
"Yes." Puzzled as to what she could be getting in the mail.  
  
"This is for you," He handed her a thick manila envelope, "Sign here please, and thank you. Have a nice day."  
  
She closed the door and looked at the package she'd received. She went to open it, when it dawned on her; this was most likely the information she was supposed to receive. She quickly bagged her sandwich, and left with both.  
  
She glanced at the clock and made her way to the Ops Center. She parked and found Marshall easily, "Well?"  
  
"I couldn't get a trace. Whoever called you obviously didn't want you to know where they were coming from." Marshall handed her back her phone, "Sorry."  
  
"It's alright, I expected this much. Thank you very much. I have to go." Sydney waved and rushed out of the Ops Center.  
  
~*~  
  
It took her longer then it should've to make it to her mother's cell. How was she supposed to know that going 40 miles over the speed limit was a bad thing?  
  
"That was quick. But, I expect if you are stealing something they'll want you to get the information down as quickly as possible and you'll need enough time to strategize." Irina sat down in front of the window and Sydney sat down too. Irina looked at Sydney expectantly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well? Open it." Irina said.  
  
"Oh, right." As she opened the envelope, she filled her mother in on Marshall's failed attempt to trace the call, she lay the contents on the floor and spread it out. Strewn about were photographs, floor plans, security codes, directions and a small sealed envelope.  
  
"What's in the envelope?" Irina asked, pointing to it.  
  
Sydney opened it and gasped, "Michael." She felt tears well up in her eyes.  
  
"It's alright Sydney. That's good that means we know that they have him. Are there any of your father?"  
  
Sydney flipped through the photos and found only one of Jack, "They have 6 or 7 of Vaughn, but only one of dad. That's odd."  
  
"It is. We'll worry about that later. What are the other documents?" Sydney picked up the other photographs and showed them to her mother; Irina blinked a few times, to make sure that what she was seeing was correct, "Impossible."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh, nothing. There's writing on the back." Irina observed.  
  
"They're Rambaldi." Sydney stated.  
  
"Yes, well we should have assumed it would be. How many photos are there?" Sydney shifted through the papers.  
  
"Five." She glanced over the instructions and the floor plans, "They're all in different places. Ugh, this is going to take forever to do it by myself." Sydney slid some of the papers through a small crack in the bottom that Jack had allowed, while she read through the directions.  
  
Irina looked through the floor plans and security instructions. Then she studied the photos, her mouth set in a grim line. Sydney looked p at her mother and saw her determined look.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Irina startled, looked up, "What? Oh, nothing dear. I was just thinking that this is a big job for one person."  
  
"Mother, you could get yourself killed. You WILL get yourself killed. When you return Kendall will have you executed. And don't even think about telling me that you don't care." Sydney smacked her head, "God, I shouldn't have even brought this here. I'm going to be in so much trouble." She began gathering her things, "Mom, can I have the rest of the things?"  
  
Irina slid them under the crack, "You know Sydney, I was just saying it might be nice to have some company while you were away. I didn't say a thing about who it should be."  
  
"Right mom. I have to go. I have to be at the airport at noon tomorrow. I think I might show up a little early though. Bye." Sydney waved and left.  
  
"Good luck." Irina smiled inwardly, Sydney was such a good daughter, and she almost felt bad about lying to her. Almost.  
That's chapter 3, longer then the other two. Please, let me know what you think. Hating it? Loving it? Think I need to do something? Any thoughts on who kidnapped Jack? Feedback is not only appreciated, but also LOVED. And, the more people I see reading the story, the faster I'll want to update! 


	4. Escape

Trust  
  
If I owned Alias then I'd own Michael Vartan and there'd be clones of him walking around (But that wouldn't be my fault! You should know who you are.) So, until the day you look out your window and Michael Vartan #576 is mowing your lawn, I don't own Alias.  
  
Thank you everyone for your reviews, that's what keeps me writing!  
  
Chapter 4  
  
:: The Next Day ::  
  
Sydney entered the Ops center with two goals, find Eric, talk to him, then find Marshall and get some "advice" then leave without bumping into anyone that may take up her time. She glanced at her watch and figured that Eric would most likely be in his office or in the cafeteria at this time. She decided the office was her best bet for not being seen and that he'd eventually have to return. She knocked on the door and was pleasantly surprised to find him there.  
  
"Sydney, what can I do for you? How are you holding up?" Eric stood and hugged her.  
  
When they parted she sat down and got straight to business, "Is this room bugged?"  
  
"No. It's not really standard CIA protocol to bug agent's offices. What is this about?" Eric sat down and surveyed Sydney suspiciously.  
  
"I'm leaving." She saw his surprise; "I got a tip from a source that my father and Michael were being held overseas. I have to go check it out. I thought I'd let you know where I was in case something went wrong. If anyone goes looking for me tell them that I went to France to see Vaughn's mother."  
  
"Are you sure they'll buy that?"  
  
"They know that Michael and I were close. It's a logical lie that they won't bother checking it out." Sydney checked her watch, "I need to go and talk to Marshall. Can I trust you to do this?"  
  
"Anything for you and Mike." Eric smiled.  
  
"Thank you." She smiled as she left.  
  
"I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into." He sighed.  
  
Sydney smiled triumphantly as she found Marshall on her first try, "Marshall, can I speak to you for a moment?" She asked, pulling him away from some other Tech geeks.  
  
"Sydney, I didn't think that I'd see you around here anymore. I mean not anymore, just like today. You were in a big rush when you left this morning. I mean, I wasn't sure if you would be coming back to work anytime soon. I thought you'd still be reeling from your father and Agent Vaughn disappearing. What am I talking about? You must still be upset and here I am rubbing it in your face. I'm a bad friend, not that I presume to call myself your friend it's just that we've,"  
  
"Marshall." Sydney broke his train of thought.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry."  
  
"It's ok. I just wanted some supplies. They're sending me out and I wanted to be prepared. It's standard breaking and entering. Nothing big, a few safes and guards." She felt bad about lying, but knew that this was the only way she could have the very best without letting on too much and it somehow getting back to Devlin or Kendall.  
  
"Oh, I have plenty to choose from. Come with me." Marshall led her to a storeroom full of things that any decent cat burglar would love to get their hands on.  
  
"Wow, this is amazing."  
  
"Well, thank you. You know that this is my specialty. What did you need exactly?"  
  
Sydney thought for a moment, "Whatever you think is best."  
  
Sydney left 20 minutes later with two briefcases loaded with anything and everything she'd need to break into 12 houses, "Thank you so much Marshall." She smiled, "By the way, you are my friend, a good one too."  
  
As Sydney walked away she didn't see the happiness that passed over Marshall's face.  
~*~  
  
She knew that more then likely she'd be kicked out of the CIA after this, her little stunt would also cost her some jail time, but it was worth it for them. The two men in her life that meant the most to her. Sure, she loved Will, but it was different with her father and Michael.  
  
She exited the care with care; three suitcases and a duffle bag were piled onto a cart as she made her way through the airport into luggage check-in. That's where she saw her. Standing to the side, reading a magazine with her normally light-brown hair dyed blond, glasses, and jeans. It was odd to see her looking so casual, but also sort of a comfort.  
  
"I wasn't sure you'd get out." Sydney said as she walked up to her. Looking through her purse for her passport, so she appeared busy.  
  
"I got in, didn't I?" Irina said simply.  
  
"Where do we go from here?"  
  
"I have a helicopter waiting for us on a landing strip. Meet me at gate 4 in forty-five minutes." Irina glanced at her watch then walked away.  
  
Sydney pulled her passport out and made her way to the baggage drop off.  
  
"Hello ma'am. Can I please see your tickets?" The overly cheerful clerk asked.  
  
Sydney smiled, "Sure, they're right here." Sydney went into her jacket pocket and gasped, "Or they should've been." Smiling weakly she pretended for about fifteen minutes that she'd lost her tickets, until the clerk asked her to step to the side and come back when she'd found them. She grabbed her suitcases and called, "Must've left them in the car!" as she rushed off out the doors.  
  
Sydney checked her watch and calculated the amount of time it would take her to get to gate 4. About ten minutes to do what ever she needed to do before she left. She threw two of her suitcases back in the car and locked it. She dragged the smallest one back, with her duffle bag on her shoulder. Making her way to through the terminal she pulled out her cell phone. Speed- dial. . .  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Will."  
  
"Where are you going? Or are you already there?" Will inquired.  
  
"On my way. I'm in the airport. I'm really sorry Will, but this is a big deal." Sydney stopped in front of gate four and found it deserted. Perfect, "Will--"  
  
"You have to go. I'll talk to you soon. You'd better keep me up to speed." He warned.  
  
"I will. You'll tell Francie?" She heard the hesitation in his voice, ever since he and Francie had gotten more serious he felt bad about the lies, "It's ok Will. I'll call her and let her know."  
  
"No, don't bother. It's alright. I just think that she knows something is going on. She's been acting really weird lately."  
  
Sydney was about to speak when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Agents. CIA, and lots of them; not good, "I have to go. If anyone calls or stops by looking for me say nothing. Bye." She hung the phone up and made her way through the doors, down the stairs and onto the tarmac.  
  
The wind swept past her and she ran towards the helicopter. It was running and she swore she'd seen something like this in a movie before. She'd reach the copter just in time and get the guy. This was no movie, not at all. The chopper had started and she climbed in with minutes to spare.  
  
"What's wrong?" So calm, so cool, she acted like she hadn't just broken out of custody.  
  
"There are CIA agents swarming the airport. We need to leave." Sydney explained.  
  
"We should be off the ground and in the air in a matter of moments." As she spoke the chopper rose in the air, "see?"  
  
Sydney nodded, "Thank you."  
  
"Well, they wouldn't be swarming the airport if I hadn't of left CIA custody. You know that as well as I do. I just don't understand how this could've happened so quickly. We should've had an hour before someone noticed we were missing. Someone must have come to see me. I wonder who." Irina sat silently thinking.  
  
"Where are we going exactly? I mean we can't really take a helicopter to Europe." Sydney pushed her hair behind her ear.  
  
"Don't be silly. We're heading to a private airstrip where my jet is fueled and ready to take off as soon as we arrive. CIA won't have anytime to secure the airstrip either. It's a private location. I had everything arranged myself." Irina looked out the window and continued thinking.  
  
Sydney decided that it would be best to be silent and to let her mother think. Her thoughts wandered, as they often did, to Michael. She wondered if he was ok, she wondered if he missed her and the one thing she didn't want to wonder about, but the only thing she could even think about was if he was alive. A lone tear dropped down her face as her heart clenched, the idea of loosing him and her father at the same time was sick and more then a little painful. 


	5. Tears in Two

Trust  
  
Sorry for my lack of updates, this chapter was being mean. Like it was pushing me around and I was all, "Dude, back off!" And then chapter 5 was like, "Make me punk!" It was pretty bad.  
  
If I owned Alias then I'd probably have a private masseuse. A big strong sexy British guy, yowza!  
Chapter 5  
  
Sydney awoke and found her surroundings very different. She wasn't on the cramped helicopter she remembered, she was on a huge, luxurious plane and lying on a bed. A nice cushy bed. She got off the bed and left the small room, walking quietly and inspecting everything around her. She found her mother sitting on a large leather couch reading a worn novel.  
  
"We are somewhere over the North Atlantic. You slept straight through our switch in Canada and our quick stop in South Carolina. Tired?" Irina looked up for the first time.  
  
"I suppose I was." Sydney sat down next to Irina on the couch, "I haven't been sleeping well lately and I guess my body couldn't take it anymore. I kept thinking about them torturing daddy and Vaughn. And then the idea makes me cry or imagine the ways they cold hurt them. I keep seeing daddy lying on the table in SD-6 with that sick man electrocuting him. The idea of it hurts. Ad then I imagine Michael and my heart hurts. The idea of him being hurt like that is too much to bear." She burst into tears suddenly and Irina wasn't sure how to react.  
  
Tentatively she stroked her hair and eased Sydney's tearful face onto her shoulder, "It'll be alright. I'm sure they won't use electroshock on your father or Vaughn. They don't need information from them, they're captives to get your attention."  
  
The tears eventually subsided and oddly enough Sydney was comforted by her mothers awkward words. It was sick that the sense that logic was the only thing keeping her sane.  
  
~*~  
  
London, England  
  
They finally landed, hours later. Sydney stepped off the plane and her entire body ached. She was used to flying, but this was too much.  
  
Irina had dragged Sydney into a car as soon as they had arrived on the tarmac (I really love that word. It's so much fun!). As soon as Sydney had a chance to breath, she turned to her mother and demanded an explanation.  
  
"Calm down. We're heading to a small estate I have here." Irina glanced at her watch, "We should arrive in about half an hour."  
  
"Wait, why are we staying at one of you estates? Is that the best idea? After all doesn't the CIA know all your hiding places?" Sydney started getting jittery.  
  
"Sydney, you know as well as I do that I'm not stupid enough to give the CIA all my hiding spots. I gave them a little, they gave me a little. Most of my accounts and estates are quite safe." Irina shifted in her chair.  
  
Sydney was silent and felt a little foolish, before she could say anything her phone rang. Irina looked at her questioningly, "I didn't bring it with me." Sydney reached into her pocket and pulled out an unfamiliar phone, she picked it up tentatively, "Hello?"  
  
"Ms. Bristow." The familiar and annoying distorted voice said calmly.  
  
"How did you--"  
  
"Don't bother. I have my ways. When we hang up you will travel to a phone booth on Portobello Road. You need to go into the one that says "out of order" You will find a package there with a bomb. If you don't get it within the next 15 minutes the entire block will explode. Starting now, have fun." The line went dead.  
  
"We need to get to Portobello Road, NOW." Sydney demanded.  
  
The driver looked back to Irina for instructions and she glared, "If she says go, then GO!" And they were off.  
  
Sydney kept checking her watch as she explained what had happened, "We only have 5 minutes, can you go any faster?" She demanded.  
  
"We're almost there madam." The driver stopped in the middle of a crowded street, "Ma'am?"  
  
Sydney practically tore out of the car and ran in one direction. Irina stepped out and walked straight towards the first phone booth. She stepped inside and began deactivating the bomb. Her watch beeped seconds after she finished. She looked up from her spot on the ground and saw Sydney running around the street like a madwoman. Grabbing the manila folder stuck to the wall, she exited the booth and called her daughters name.  
  
Sydney ran over, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the folder in her mother's hand, "How did you find it so quickly?"  
  
"There was a big 'Out of Order' sign on the window. It was a good hint." Irina got into the car and Sydney followed.  
  
~*~  
  
Irina's Estate. . .  
  
Sydney had laid all the material on one of Irina's massive tables and was going over them. Irina walked in with the tea she had gone to make and set it aside.  
  
"So, do you have a plan yet?" Irina poured herself a cup of tea.  
  
"Well there are five pieces of art, a painting, a vase, a figurine, a portrait, and a book. They're scattered in five fun locations. The painting is in the Louvre, the vase the London home of an art collector, the figurine is in a small gallery in Italy, the portrait is at an auction house in Spain and the book belongs in a private collection housed in France." Sydney pulled out a map and made small marks on each of the locations.  
  
"Well, it would be easiest if we did the break-ins in order, the London home, then France, then Italy and finally Spain. That way we wouldn't have to backtrack." Irina observed.  
  
"Well here's the problem with that. Our instructions are very specific. We have to go in a certain order for god knows what reason. The painting, the vase, figurine, the portrait then the book. They must form something when assembled."  
  
"That does form a problem. What else was in the letter?" Irina offered Sydney a cup of tea.  
  
"No, thank you though. It was a timetable. Whoever planned this, planned it well. We have enough time to stake out the house, break-in, and leave then be at the next location in 24 hours. It's absurd. This sort of planning would take weeks, months even!" Sydney threw her body down on one of Irina's many plush chairs. She sunk into it and closed her eyes for a moment. Just a moment of silence to think about what would happen when she got Michael back.  
  
Irina looked over the information and glanced at her watch, "Sydney, we have to leave for Paris in about three hours. We need to make a plan."  
  
Sydney sighed, "Well we have to do the break-in at night. But, this will be impossible. I don't think it will be easy to steal something from one of the largest museums in the world. (I'm not sure but I think that the Louvre is the largest museum in the world, anyone know?) It's going to be impossible to get in and then we have to deal with getting out. But, I think if anyone can pull this off it's got to be us."  
  
Irina smiled wryly and Sydney smiled back, "It's good to know that you have faith in our skills."  
  
"Hey, you've been doing this for a long time and so have I. I think we will make a marvelous team. Besides, if we get caught at least we'll be in a French jail. I don't think that the CIA and FBI are too happy with us right now."  
  
Irina shook her head, "No, I suppose not. Well, we should eat something, shower and maybe get something to wear. How does that sound?"  
  
Sydney nodded in agreement, "Sounds good. I think I'll call Will and let him know that I got here ok."  
  
"There's a secure line in there," Irina pointed to a doorway.  
  
"Thanks." Sydney walked towards the room and stopped, "Where can I go to get changed and shower and whatnot?"  
  
"When you enter the eastern living room there's a staircase next to the bookshelf, go up it and follow the hallways until you reach the first room on the left. Your bags are in there and there should be some clean towels in the bathroom."  
  
Sydney nodded and made her way into what she assumed to be the eastern living room, briefly wondering if there was a western, northern and southern one too. Dialing the area code and the familiar number home, she waited as the phone rang. She glanced at her watch and calculated it was about 6 in the afternoon over there.  
  
"Hello?" Francie answered the phone in the monotone voice she had adopted lately.  
  
"Hey Francie, it's me."  
  
"Hi, Will told me that you had another job for work. How are things going?"  
  
It was Francie, but it just didn't feel like her. Something was off and she couldn't place it. Will had mentioned it a few days ago too, "Things are going. I was wondering if Will was around. I needed to talk to him about something."  
  
"Yeah, let me get him." She heard shuffling in the background and waited until Will picked up the phone.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"I just wanted to let you know that I got here alright and I was wondering if there were any messages for me?" Sydney hoped that Will knew she was asking about CIA visitors or calls.  
  
"Um, someone from work stopped by. They were just curious to know when you would be back. A friend I think."  
  
Ok, good Will Tippin wasn't an idiot, "And you told them you weren't sure?"  
  
"Well yeah, I don't know when you'll be back. Where are you anyway?"  
  
"Oh, look at the time. I gotta go. I'll call you in a few days." She hung up the phone feeling a little bad. But, knowing the CIA they could easily have taped the phones. She stopped to look for the staircase and looked around the room. Simple décor, dark red walls, two bookcases that take up most of the wall space, a dark red leather couch in the center with huge matching chairs surrounding it, the room was so simple, yet elegant. She made her way up the stairs and smiled as she felt the dark cherry wood furnishing, smooth underneath her hand. It was an oddly relaxing feeling. She reached the hallway, and found the room her mother had set up for her easily.  
  
"Wow." Was the only thing she could think of as she walked in. A huge canopy bed with a midnight blue comforter and pale blue sheets stood in the center of the room, a huge bureau and a vanity table stood to the right of the bed against the wall, the walls were deep blue and the windows were draped with a gauzy white fabric. Her suitcase and duffle bag sat on the floor near a walk-in closet. She closed the door and grabbed her duffle bag. She pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a tank top and made her way to the bathroom.  
  
The bathroom was almost as big as the room, a huge bathtub, big enough for two, she noted, a huge shower, a linen closet, another vanity table and a double sink. Sydney walked over to the tub and turned the water on, plugging it and pouring a generous amount of bubbles in she stripped. It had been too long since she'd had time to relax in a bath. The last time was when Vaughn had. . . She shook the thoughts out of her mind as she settled in. He wouldn't want her to be upset. She needed to focus on finding him and feeling sorry for herself and damning whoever kidnapped him and her father was not going to help.  
  
~*~  
  
She finished the bath without thinking and made her way downstairs less then half an hour later. She found the kitchen after a few minutes of searching and saw her mother sitting on a stool in the center of the kitchen by an island. She went to walk in and saw something that made her heart stop. Her mother was crying. Crying. Irina Derevako, KGB assassin, crying. She stood in the doorway watching her, she noted that she was staring at a picture.  
  
"It's the only one I have." Irina said suddenly.  
  
Sydney nearly jumped, she hadn't realized that her mother had known she was there, "Only one what?"  
  
"This is the only picture I have of my family." Irina motioned for Sydney to join her and Sydney sat at the stool next to her, "When Laura 'died', I couldn't take anything with me. It would seem too obvious. So, before I left I had a copy made of the family photo we took that Christmas. I took it with me and it's the only tangible thing I have left of my life. I take it with me everywhere." Irina stopped for a moment and wiped the tears from her face, "I'm a fool."  
  
"No, you're not." Sydney looked at her mother with honesty shining from her eyes, "When you came back I thought that you couldn't feel anything but hate and evil. It was all some plot to get what you wanted. But, now, I don't think that was right. You really did love daddy, didn't you?"  
  
"I still do. More then I ever thought possible. If we don't get him back I don't know what I'll do." Irina said, her words hung in the air.  
  
~*~  
  
I'm not really sure about this chapter and it keeps annoying me that I continue to have Sydney mope about Vaughn and be sort of eh about Jack, but I tried to make it so she was upset about both of them and not really like not to caring about Jack.  
  
Please, let me know what you think! I crave reviews. Like I crave Denny's. Mmmm, Denny's. 


	6. Grand Theft Painting

Trust  
  
If I owned Alias then (insert something amusing and entirely inappropriate here.).  
Chapter 6  
  
Sydney sat staring out the window as they flew to France. Things used to be so simple. Well, not simple. But she at least knew where she stood. She was a double agent, she was madly in love with her handler/friend/guardian angel and she was a student. Then, suddenly, SD-6 was gone. Her whole world shifted. And, she didn't mind. Now this had to happen. The one person she could always count on was gone and so was her father. Jack Bristow hadn't exactly been super dad when she was growing up; well he'd never really been a father to her until recently. Now he was gone too.  
  
~*~  
  
2:38 AM~ Louvre Paris, France  
  
Sydney entered the building silently. She stealthily made her way to the room the map said they would find the painting in.  
  
Irina waited in the security office and watched Sydney through the monitors. Telling her where to turn and stopping her to hide from a guard every so often. "The painting should be located on the wall, it looks to be an ordinary watercolor."  
  
Sydney entered the room and looked around, "Which wall is it on?" Not seeing any watercolors.  
  
"East. It's labeled under 'unknown artist, 47'" Irina's eyes darted around the security feed, "Hurry up. A guard will be entering the room in 6 minutes."  
  
Sydney walked over to the east wall and saw only a small plaque, "Oh shit."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's been moved." Sydney said.  
  
"What are you talking about?!" Irina glanced at her watch, 4 minutes.  
  
"It's in storage! They're currently 'relocating the painting to a private gallery and it is in the process of being moved.' Fuck." Sydney swore.  
  
"Is it still in storage?" Irina asked.  
  
"Yeah, it says it will be shipped the 20th. It should be in the storage room till then. I just don't know where that is."  
  
"You need to get out of that room. The guard will be there in less then a minute and he can't catch you. Exit through the left."  
  
Sydney moved out of the room and entered the next with more caution, "Should I get out of the building or do you know where in storage facility is?" She whispered.  
  
"Keep quiet or someone will hear you. Now if memory serves me there should be a staircase in the next room, head down it. Stop when you get to the bottom. I can't see you in there so you'll have to watch out. But I don't think there are any guards in there." Irina closed her eyes and pictured the map she'd gone over so carefully.  
  
Sydney did as she was instructed and kept heading down the spiral of stairs. She finally reached the bottom with out any problems, "I'm there." Sydney whispered.  
  
"Alright, the door should have a key card lock, pretty standard and a 6 digit code." Irina waited for Sydney to open the door as she checked her watch. The need to get out of there by 3:00 at the latest and this little setback was become a big problem.  
  
After a few moments of playing with the devices Marshall had given her the door swung open. Apprehensively she entered the room and noted it was devoid of guards.  
  
Irina glanced at her watch, 2:47 AM, 13 minutes. It would take Sydney 6 to reach the rooftop and make her escape, "About 5 minutes Sydney."  
  
"Got it." She surveyed the room and began looking at the boxes, "It had to have been put here recently." She mumbled to herself.  
  
"Less then 3 minutes." Irina said.  
  
"Shit, where is it?!" Sydney suddenly spotted a tag hanging out from beneath a crate, "47. Found it." She opened the crate and pulled the painting out. Pulling off the linen wrapping she made sure it was indeed what she was looking for, "This is it, I'm out."  
  
"Hold it!"  
  
Sydney stopped before she opened the door, "What's wrong?"  
  
"There should be a guard patrolling the stairs right now. He'll leave in 43 seconds."  
  
As she waited she carefully rewrapped the painting.  
  
"Alright. I'll meet you on the roof." Irina waited 30 seconds then turned the security timer on, "Sydney in 7 minutes the cameras will be back on."  
  
"Got it." Up the stairs, up, up, another flight, another, once more, rooftop entrance. She opened it easily and heard it snap shut behind her as she stepped outside.  
  
Elsewhere. . .  
  
Irina left the security station and cautiously made her way to the nearest staircase. She glanced at her watch, guard free for 3 more minutes. She entered cautiously, and then began running, as quickly as she could without making any noise. She reached the top and as the door closed behind her she heard one open from inside, "Perfect timing." She said to herself.  
  
"Mom?" Sydney grabbed her arm and the two made their way across the roof. Exiting the same way they came in.  
  
Later. . .  
  
Sydney made a face as they climbed out of the sewers, "I still can't believe people actually want guided tours of the sewers."  
  
"Catacombs. People will pay big money for stupid things. Now let's get out of here." Irina motioned for her driver to bring the car over.  
  
"Are we heading straight to the airport?" Sydney asked once they headed down the road.  
  
"We need to be back in London tomorrow. Well, technically today. It's just easier if we head back now."  
Ok, that was short and it wasn't really my best work. But, there's this little thing called Writers block and it's been bugging me for weeks. Sorry about the delay.  
  
If you've ever been to Paris or the Louvre and I've totally screwed it up, I'm sorry. I tried to get as much info on it as I could but they don't really have like security procedures and staircase placement where I've searched. So, we're just going to pretend that I'm right. Because it's my story and I can do what I want. Including flying! WEEE!  
  
Review, review review. Thank you all of you who reviewed previously and those of you who will review now. Because I know someone will. Because you're all so swell. And nice. Very nice. And pretty. 


	7. So She IS A Spy

Trust  
  
If I owned Alias then I'd have a big 'ole squirrel farm, because that'd be neat.  
  
Haven't really updated in a while, but I had an idea for this chapter, so here we are!  
  
Season Finale spoiler that I'm sure most of you know about, but if you haven't seen it or are unspoiled skip ahead to the fic! There is however a note at the end of the fic that I'd appreciate you reading.  
  
In case anyone cares about my thoughts about the SF I'm going to put a little something in here about it. My take is that Vaughn isn't really married. Maybe he's simply wearing the ring to symbolize his devotion to Syd and to keep away all the crazy women who would try and jump him. I'm also thinking that Sydney probably disappeared due to that whole Rambaldi prophecy thing that Irina was telling her about before she jumped off the building. Just my wheels turning and maybe some wishful thinking.  
  
Robinyj: The pictures of Jack and Vaughn were just basic. Nothing really special. Vaughn was tied up and blindfolded, as was Jack. But, remember pictures can be faked. . . so if it was truly Jack and Vaughn remains to be seen. Or, you know they weren't faked.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Sydney sat in the dining room, hours after they'd returned from France, going over the information on the next piece. After a much-needed shower and a few hours of sleep Sydney had begun planning their next move.  
  
"Sydney, I'm sure there is a good reason we are back in London, rather then being stuck in France still so why don't you take a minute to look at everything with a clear head and some food in your stomach." Irina said as she carried in a tray filled with sandwiches.  
  
"The man who owns the vase, his name is Dickinson Lagardy and I can swear I've heard that name before." Sydney was going through the information still, "I'm just trying to find a picture of him, but there doesn't seem to be one. For some famous art collector he's pretty sneaky."  
  
"I'm not surprised, Dickinson IS an art collector, but that's the least of his resume. He also deals in weapon sales, slavery, prostitution and drugs. Why he would have a Rambaldi artifact is beyond me." Irina set the tray down and walked out of the room as she was talking and Sydney followed her into the library. She sat down on the computer and typed in a few things, "Here."  
  
Looking over Irina's shoulder Sydney frowned, "Why would such a young guy feel the need to do this with his life?"  
  
Irina laughed, "Why does anyone do anything anymore Sydney? Money."  
  
"I suppose that's true." Sydney sighed then flipped through the folder she had in her hand on the vase, "It says here there's going to be a party tonight and that we're to show up as guests. Well it says I'm supposed to show up as a guest."  
  
"What does it say about getting in? Dickinson is not the type of person who lets just anyone show up to his big affairs. I'm sure the security will be tight." Irina said needlessly.  
  
"I think we can slip in unnoticed. It's not like we haven't both done this sort of thing before." Sydney said.  
~*~  
  
Later on that night at the Lagardy estate. . .  
  
Alisa Montgomery looked positively tickled as she made her way up the stairs to the grand estate that she'd seen only in pictures. She smiled at security and wasn't even stopped for her name. She entered the ballroom and was immediately offered champagne.  
  
With her long golden blond hair, her stunning features and her trim figure she was a something to be ogled at. Sending a few meaning looks at Dickinson who sat surrounded by women she was soon crowded by men. After several failed attempts to get her to dance the crowd surrounding her parted to make way for the host. A coy glance was all he got when he offered his hand.  
  
"I really don't dance well." She said giggling, her southern drawl only added to her charms.  
  
A soft British accent, tinged with French, wove its way around Dickinson Lagardy's voice, "Please, I'm sure a stunning lady such as yourself can manage to give such a gracious host one dance."  
  
"Oh," Blushing furiously she took his hand and they made their way out onto the dance floor, "I can't believe you'd want to dance with me. I mean you're the host."  
  
"My dear you don't give yourself nearly enough credit." Dickinson said, giving her a smile that could melt most women's hearts and make them weak in the knees.  
  
"Oh my." Alisa Montgomery was obviously one of these women, "Do you think that perhaps we can move somewhere, more," Her voice dropped into a whisper, "Private?"  
  
"Come with me." The couple mad their way out of the main room and into a secluded hallway, "The library?" He suggested.  
  
Opening the door she gasped, "It seems to be occupied." She giggled as he closed the door.  
  
"There's only a few other rooms around here with locks." He tried two more, but they were both locked, "The only other room is the gallery."  
  
"So?" Alisa started kissing his neck and he'd made up his mind.  
  
"Come on." He pulled her into the empty room and shut the door, and then he proceeded to kiss her.  
  
"Wait!" She jumped back and pointed to the wall, "Are those on?"  
  
He looked up and saw the cameras that stood out in the whitewalls, "Yeah. . ."  
  
"Then I'm not. Unless you'll turn them off." She demanded.  
  
"Give me a second and we'll be in business." He walked over to the wall and pushed a tile to reveal an alarm system.  
  
He didn't notice Alisa walking up behind him and she started kissing his neck as he typed in the code to turn off the cameras, "Well, it's done. Now, let's finish up what we started."  
  
"Are you sure no one's going to walk in or see us?" Alisa asked nervously.  
  
"I swear, I just turned off all the camera's for this side of the house. Now, where were we?" He leaned in and was met with a needle, "What the. . ." He fell to the floor in a slump.  
  
Three quick knocks and one soft one, "Alisa" noted. She opened the door and Irina came in quickly.  
  
"The camera's are off, but I don't know for how long. He says the security feed is off for this side of the house, but I don't know if that's true either." Sydney explained as Irina surveyed the room.  
  
"Alright, let's just find the vase and get out of here." Sydney nodded in agreement and the two made their way over to the display.  
  
Irina pulled out a bottle of hairspray and sprayed around the stand, bright red lasers criss-crossed around the vase, "We need to turn the security completely off. Or the power."  
  
Sydney reached into the bag Irina had brought in with her and pulled out one of Marshall's famous gadgets, "It's a de-scrambler. It should turn off the feed for 30 seconds." Sydney walked over to the alarm system and stepped over Dickinson.  
  
"Now." Irina said, Sydney placed the small machine and the power went out for a second, the lasers were gone and Irina grabbed the vase and placed it, gently in the bag. The lights flickered again and the lasers returned, "We need to get out of here before someone comes and investigates."  
  
Sydney packed up the equipment quickly and then her and Irina slipped out into the party. They separated and then Alisa started sobbing hysterically. A guard ran over to her and she noted the chaos surrounding her.  
  
"Ma'am, is something wrong?" He asked.  
  
Alisa started breathing deeply and hiccupping, "I, I tried. . .Oh lord." She began wheezing between words.  
  
"Are you alright Miss?" Clearly concerned with the woman before and overwhelmed, the guard motioned for another to come and help him.  
  
She walked over to the scene and immediately took charge, "She's having a panic attack. She needs to get out of the house, she's probably suffocating, I'll take care of it." The female guard led Alisa out of the house onto the front lawn, "Come on I'll walk you to your car, do you have your keys?"  
  
Alisa nodded and the two made their escape.  
  
~*~  
  
Kind of lame, I know. I don't do much breaking and entering so if this isn't really possible, that's ok. I hope it wasn't too hard to follow. The reason I named him Dickinson is because the name means "powerful, rich ruler" and I thought that fit him.  
  
I do, however, need you, the reader's, opinion on something. Should I continue with Irina and Sydney stealing all the Rambaldi stuff, or should I just skip ahead and go into the second part of the story? It's entirely up to all of you and I'd really, really like your input. Otherwise I'm just going to keep going at this pace, where I only update like once every two weeks. So, please just let me know, e-mail me or leave it in your review if you are so kind as to do one. 


	8. Tell Me Lies

Trust  
  
If I owned Alias then I wouldn't have left people hanging like that for the season finale. I'd make it all nice and happy. Because I'm lame and I want happy S/V. But kudos to JJ on keeping his current audience tuned in. Basically, don't own it.  
  
Sorry for the wait, but my older sister was graduating and things were sort of hectic around here.  
  
A/N: While I did get a number of very nice reviews, THANK YOU for those by the way, no one really told me if they had a preference to me continuing on with the whole stealing things or if I should skip ahead and go straight to the "meat" of the story. Well, I decided that I'm lazy and I really didn't enjoy writing those chapters, so I'm going to go for skipping ahead. If enough people ask me to I'll write the other chapters, but they're not really important so, whatever. Anywho read on and as always enjoy!!  
  
Also, a little change, I was originally going to have Evil Francie be Anna, but now that it's not she's now Allison, because she is. Weeeeee.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Day by day Spy Mommy and Spy Barbie, er, Sydney and Irina did as they were instructed. Stealing item after item until they were finally done. The last three had taken longer then expected, as they'd run into some problems with security and the like. But, oddly enough Irina always managed to get them out before they were truly in trouble. Knowing all sorts of secret passages and having all kinds of dirt on the people they were stealing from.  
  
Sydney sat thinking about how odd it was that her mother knew so much about the thefts. It was almost as if she'd planned them herself. . . No. That was impossible. Not only had her mother been in CIA custody, she also wouldn't have kidnapped Vaughn and Jack. Plus she didn't need Sydney's help to steal these things. She was fully capable of doing it herself. They'd gotten a lot closer these past few weeks and Sydney wasn't really ready to give that up. Even if it meant that her mother was betraying her.  
  
"Sydney?" Irina's voice broke her thoughts.  
  
"Yeah?" Sydney hopped off the plush couch she had been occupying in the library as Irina entered the room, "What is it?"  
  
"We have a package. And I think we can guess who it's from." Irina motioned Sydney to the table that sat in the center of the room and the two sat down.  
  
"It has to be Sloane, Sark doesn't care about Rambaldi." Sydney said as she waited for Irina to open the package.  
  
She had begun to tear off the top, when she stopped and looked at Sydney, "There's something I need to tell you."  
  
Oh no. This is what she'd been dreading. Her mother was the one who'd sent the all over Western Europe to find some pieces of the stupid Rambaldi puzzle. Vaughn was sitting in the Ops center wondering where she was and Jack was searching all over the world for some sort of lead on the two of them, "Yes?" Sydney prodded her uneasily.  
  
"I know who planned these thefts because it was me." Irina said simply.  
  
Taking a deep breath Sydney closed her eyes and felt the need to start sobbing. God, how could she not have known? This woman wasn't her mother, that's not what she wanted at all. What she was was a cold-blooded killer and a master manipulator. And she'd fallen for it. Christ she'd even comforted her for losing Jack. It was her father and her own mother had staged his kidnapping and Vaughn. Oh she hoped with all her heart that her mother hadn't done something to him. One of the men in her life was bad enough, but both?  
  
~*~  
  
His world was black, his whole body ached and he didn't know how long he'd been unconscious. Dizzy, he tried to open his eyes. Squinting at first he got a blurry look around the room, which was empty except for him. There wasn't even a door. He lifted his arm, it felt heavier then normal, it ached. He gave up the task of trying to rub his eyes. He leaned his head back and hit something cold. Dragging his hand across the floor he felt solid metal, must be the door, he thought. He heard footsteps from outside and wasn't ready for the pain that shot through him as the door opened. His body flung across the room and he collapsed again into the unconscious before he could see anyone or anything.  
  
~*~  
  
Will Tippin wasn't a stupid man. He'd made rash decisions in his life and he'd let his hear lead him in places it shouldn't, but he wasn't stupid. Something was off with Francie and he knew it. They'd started dating and something had seemed off. She wasn't herself when she was around him and she always seemed to be hiding something. He just couldn't figure out what it was.  
  
"Will, are you alright?"  
  
He turned as he heard her enter the room. She made him jumpy now and he knew that if something really were up with her then she'd notice. He mentally calmed himself and smiled at her, "Fine, I was just thinking about Sydney." A real girlfriend who knew about Will's feelings for Sydney, or what they used to be, would've been jealous. Or somewhat guarded around the subject. But Francie just let is slide.  
  
"Yeah, I hope she's ok." She smiled at Will and for the first time in months it seemed, he noticed that the smile looked faked.  
  
"Fran, is something wrong with you?" He regretted the question as soon as it came out of his mouth. If something were up with Francie she wouldn't tell him.  
  
"No, why?" Unbeknownst to Will, behind her back "Francie" was preparing a needle.  
  
"No, you just seemed a little different today. Distant. You must be as worried about Sydney as I am." He smiled uncertainly.  
  
"Yeah, I am. Will?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Would you please hand me that book?" She pointed at the coffee table to the cook book that lay on the edge opposite of Will.  
  
Leaning across the table, Will picked up the book. Before he could even turn around the needle was in his neck, and his body slumped on the table.  
  
"Shouldn't ask so many questions Will." She said smiling.  
  
~*~  
  
I know it's short and really not worth the wait, but I thought a nice little cliffy was in order. I'll try and post the next chapter soon since I have no school.  
  
I also have just read a really upsetting spoiler to next season; if you're unspoiled, don't bother going here. But if you'd like to mourn with me, then read on. . . (Unspoiled stop reading now, there's nothing for you here and I don't want people flaming me. STOP)  
  
Sydney awakened from a deep sleep to discover that she had been presumed dead for the last two years. Where the heck was she? But more importantly, did Vaughn really go off and get hitched to someone else - as his shiny new wedding band seemed to suggest? "Yes, he did," confirms exec producer J.J. Abrams, who adds that Syd's mission to retrace those missing years will "definitely be a component" of Season Three.  
  
Yes, read it and be depressed with me. Damn you J.J. ::shakes fist:: I got this from spoilersluts, and for some reason I couldn't put the site here. But that's where it's from. Depressing. Stupid Vaughn. 


End file.
